The Localism Bill is due very shortly.

We can save our woodland. 

The Big Society

Empowerment of Local People

We have been fighting for 5.1/2 years we are a neighbourhood coming together to say what we want in our area, and we want to save our woodland

Longridge Wood Campainers 14th August 2010 at 10 a.m

 

 

 Longridge Wood

 

 This is what we got  in return for taking part of our woodland planted over a mile away.

Where Are We Now

Middlesbrough Council’s hypocrisy concerning the demolition of Longridge Wood to build yet more houses continues to amaze us!   Middlesbrough Council is only interested in the capital receipt that this site will provide, plus the financial offers from a developer. Two immediate inaccuracies in the press statement are that “the developer will be required to contribute towards a crossing on Stainton Way” and provide funding for “local education facilities”. We wonder if Middlesbrough Council departments do actually communicate with each other, because the building of the Toucan crossing on Stainton Way is due to start imminently with money already provided from the ‘Healthy Town Fund’ and the new classroom at Lingfield School is already built having been paid for from its own building cost fund earlier this year. It would appear that the decline in Middlesbrough’s population and “people leaving the town for neighbouring boroughs” is somehow linked to there being no houses on the Longridge site. Councillor Rooney says that “the town is crying out for a high quality housing site”. Yet  ??? houses are currently being built at ‘Scholars Rise’ on the Prissick Base, Marton Road, ??? on Kirby College site and Hemlington Hospital site is on schedule for ??? houses - plus the many houses for sale throughout Middlesbrough. Mayor Mallon told us he wanted the site for 70 ‘H’ band houses to help to ‘balance’ with the A & B houses in the town.  However, we are now told that the houses will be band B C and D – exactly the same as on the other sites and the number has already increased from 70 to 90. The “long term regeneration of Middlesbrough” is not going to come from more houses – there needs to be more attractive open green spaces where families can go to walk, play and enjoy themselves. The Council justifies the bulldozing of part of the site, containing hundreds of 25ft trees, including silver birch, in 2008 (cost £25,000) which was to make the site ‘more attractive’ to developers stating that “it was more than offset by planting more than 8,000 new trees at Newham Grange Farm”. This was done to satisfy requirements from the Forestry Commission. Has anyone looked at these trees on the valuable farm land recently? Many have died.  It will be years before it becomes a ‘tree belt’ and it certainly does not replace the recreational and wildlife site of Longridge Wood. We would remind Middlesbrough Council that it has Beacon Status for Climate Change and has also signed up to One Planet Living. In the most compelling evidence yet, scientists have discovered that trees are responsible for absorbing a fifth of man’s climate change emissions.    The new Tees Valley Green Infrastructure Plan requests Councils to “retain a series of green wedges within the built up areas; increase woodland cover; improve urban fringe areas, including provision of open space, landscaping and tree planting, to name but a few.

It also states that “new development should not damage existing wildlife sites and should enhance them where possible.” It would appear that Middlesbrough Council is a law unto itself. Longridge Wood is now a well established nature reserve, a natural play area for children and much used by the local residents. What was decided in the 1970s and 1990 regarding this site is now totally irrelevant. How can the Council still want to bulldoze natural woodland to build yet more houses?

 

 July 2010  Middlesbrough Council say they have a developer.

 

December 2009, We are still fighting to save this woodland and hope that the council will come to their senses and plant some more trees on our beautiful site.  We are still trying to save the Planet and what better way than to plant trees.  We are another year down the line i.e. five years on from when we started the fight and we will keep going.

We are at present trying to get as many signatures as possible on a petition.  Please get in touch if you can help. 

 

 

 

We received the report on 13th March rejecting the Application for Village Green status

THIS IS NOT THE END, WE WILL FIGHT ON.

WE HAVE NOW BEEN FIGHTING FOR THREE YEARS WE WILL NOT GIVE UP.

 

The public inquiry will take place in the Mandela Room, Town Hall on December 3rd, 4th 5th and 6th please come along and support us.

Hello everyone

Middlesbrough Council have now put Public notices in the Gazette and around the site asking if anyone has objections to the site becoming a village green.  Obviously the council will be the main objectors.  We will receive a copy of their objections and will be able to respond.

 

Application for Registration as a Village Green

We have submitted 194 evidence forms to Middlesbrough Borough Council to adopt site 44 as a Village Green.  The Open Spaces Society have sent out the following press release.

LONGRIDGE WOOD’S CAMPAIGNERS

TAKE BIG STEP FORWARD

The community group fighting to save Longridge Wood at Marton has taken a big step forward. Backed by the national Open Spaces Society they have applied to Middlesbrough Council to register the wood as a village green, and the council has agreed to consider the application.

Says the society’s general secretary, Kate Ashbrook: ‘We are delighted that local people were able to gather the necessary evidence to submit the claim. If the land is registered as a green it will be protected from development.  It will then be impossible to build on it unless suitable land is provided in exchange.

‘Local people submitted 194 forms giving evidence of use of the land for recreation for 47 years,’ Kate explains.

‘This included football and cricket matches, walking, jogging, painting, blackberrying and children riding bikes and flying kites. When it snowed some years ago, one person even went cross-country skiing, while children went sledging and had snowball fights.

‘This is just the sort of evidence that is needed to claim land as a green. You have to show you have used it for “lawful sports and pastimes”, without asking permission or being stopped, for 20 years. It seems there can be no argument about the use of this land.

‘We hope the council will move swiftly to determine whether the land should be registered as a green. It will need to appoint an independent inspector to hold a non-statutory inquiry so that all the arguments can be heard. The case will be determined purely on the evidence.

‘We congratulate the residents for putting together this claim. They may yet save this wonderful area of land from development,’ concludes Kate.

 

 

Just come from a meeting with Mayor Mallon where he stated:  I agree with everything you say, you are right wanting to keep this site, but I have to do what is right for the whole of Middlesbrough.  So come on the whole of Middlesbrough what do you think?

 

Meeting 5th January re: Environmental Impact Assessment  1.30 p.m.

 

Meeting Thursday 7th December 2006

It was announced at the beginning of the meeting that we could not do a 'call in'.   We were told that this should have been done after the March meeting.   Councillor Ward put our case forward saying that the developer had not put in plans that would enhance the site.  Councillor Budd said that this would be worked through with the developer and he was confident that they would come up with the correct type of development.  If they did not then the site would not be sold.

However the campaign still goes on, Watch This Space.

 

Proposed Housing Development

Site 44 Longridge, Stainton Way

 

Thank you to everyone who went to the Middlesbrough Council Executive Decision Making Meeting on 20th November 2006.  We were well represented, much to the surprise of some Councillors.  It was reported (plus large photo) in the Gazette on November 21^st.  The outcome was that Yuill will be the preferred developer, but their £8.5 million bid requires ‘further clarification and information’.  So the Site is not yet sold! 

 

We have gained another supporter!  Craig Hornby, who has made his name internationally as the producer & director of the film “A Century in Stone” - the first ever local film shown in a Teesside multiplex (2004) – and he wants to help us.  Craig suggests we can stir up publicity with ‘Local environment group team up with a local filmmaker to broadcast a campaign film worldwide via the web’.  He plans to make a video and put it online through Youtube and Google video early next week. 

Craig’s website is www.pancrack.tv

Craig, plus camera, will be at Site 44 on Sunday December 3^rd at about 11.15 am.  We need as many people as possible to join him and to take part in the film.  Please can you help? Bring family, friends, children, dogs along as well!

 

Also, Councillor Terry Ward has successfully ‘called in’ the decision. It will be considered by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board at an open Meeting being held in the Town Hall on Thursday, December 7^th at 9am.  Might it be possible for some of you to support us again and go to that meeting with us?

 

Chris Hobson; Tel: 313154;            email: chris.hobson1@ntlworld.com

Jim Bowen;            Tel: 320453;            email: j_bowen2@yahoo.com     30^th Nov. 2006